The First Protest in History

In the Stone Age, Elsa tries to convince the village men to stop hunting reindeer.

As the men approached, holding their spears, bows, and arrows, Elsa cried out, “NO! I won't let you!”

“Move aside, little girl,” one of the men grunted.

“What you're doing is wrong!” It didn't matter that no one believed her.

Before

Ella’s eyes were glued to the sewing project in her hands, struggling to pierce two hides with a worn bone needle, when her father entered the hut and announced, “The hunt is tomorrow.”

The needle fell from her hands as her head snapped up to look at her father, her eyes searching his face. A strange panic bloomed in her chest. “They are still doing that?”

Her father cocked his head to the side. He paused before answering, giving her a chance to take her question back. When she didn’t, he continued, “Yes, Elsa, we need to hunt for food. You know that.”

“But….” She hesitated, her thoughts racing. “The reindeer have souls, feelings, and families! You can't kill helpless animals. It's bad enough you built that wall to herd them.”

His face darkened. “You are a simple-minded girl.” He left the hut without allowing her to say another word.

Next to Elsa, her mother had been mixing a new salve to treat burns, but the mortar and pestle had stilled long ago. Elsa felt her eyes boring into her. “Elsa–” she started.

“The reindeer deserve better.” Elsa left the hut before her mother said anything else. She needed to stop the hunt by the next morning–she needed every minute. She was going to save the reindeer.

First, she needed to gather support for the cause. She wandered through the village, hurrying past a man butchering a carcass. Then she hurried past three more men covered in blood. They were preparing for the next round of meat. With a sigh of relief, she entered the healing hut, the calm energy washing over her.

“Elsa!” the women cried in unison. “How is your mother?” one woman asked. Her mother was a well-known and respected healer. Elsa remembered growing up playing hide-and-seek with the other healers' children.

“I need help,” she said. After that, she wasn’t sure what to say to convince them.

One of the women stopped rolling bandages and turned to face her. “Of course, what do you need?”

Elsa took a deep breath and met the eyes of all the women. “I need to stop the hunt. We can’t kill reindeer. They’re majestic creatures with feelings and families. Please help me convince the men not to kill them tomorrow.” Her shaky breaths caused her sentences to come out in a staccato rhythm. The calm energy had staled.

“Not kill reindeer? What are you going to eat?” The first woman asked while the others tried to hide their smiles.

Elsa paused. She hadn't fully considered the implications of not eating animals. “We have other sources of food. We can eat plants and berries.”

The women howled in uproarious laughter. The sudden cacophony sent Elsa reeling back.

“This isn't a joke!” She could feel tears forming in her eyes. Shouldn’t healers understand the importance of life?

The women laughed even louder, and Elsa stomped away, feeling like a toddler trying to explain why unicorns are real. Why didn't anyone understand that animals have feelings? They feel pain just like us, she thought.

One of the women followed her outside and grabbed her arm to stop her. “Elsa, is this really about the reindeer?”

“Yes!” she cried, wrenching her arm back. “What else would it be about?”

But she ran away before the woman could answer. Animals have families that love them too, she thought.

The more people she talked to, the more despair filled her heart. However, it didn't stamp out the passion she felt; rather, it fanned the flames.

And that’s how she found herself standing alone in front of all the men in her tribe holding their weapons.

After

Considering she was a single girl standing in their way, they simply walked around her.

She fell to her knees in defeat. A hand appeared on her shoulder. “Elsa, we both know this isn't just about the reindeer,” her mother said, her soft voice wrapping Elsa in comfort.

“I miss him.” Sobs wracked her body.

Her mother sat down next to her. “We all miss your brother. He was a great hunter, but time comes for all of us.”

“I feel like I don’t have a purpose anymore. I feel lost. I feel… like we're going to lose Father.” The subconscious truth spilled out, exposing her overwhelming grief.

Elsa’s brother had taken a stray arrow to the heart on the last hunt. It felt like Elsa’s heart was also punctured. When her father brought his body back, the world turned upside down into the after.

“Don't you see how defeating this is?” Her mother stroked her hair. “Not to mention, if you somehow succeeded, we wouldn't have food. You should pick a purpose that doesn't require a losing battle.” While her mother’s voice was light and amused, Elsa felt like daggers were being thrown at her. She felt helpless; her brother’s death had been treated like a mundane occurrence, like clouds in the sky on a rainy day. Nobody questioned the safety of the hunt; in fact, it was happening again, right on schedule.

Her mother allowed a long pause punctuated by Elsa's grieving wails. She grabbed her daughter's hand. “You know, you could be a healer like me.”

Elsa looked into her mother’s kind, comforting eyes and saw her future in them. She saw her purpose, her legacy, looking back at her. For the first time in a very long time, she felt a seed of hope planted in her chest.

Word Count: 965